'Spring Unveiling' event

What: The 10 My Sister's Closet consignment stores in the Phoenix market attract crowds to their twice-yearly sales. Each store holds clearance sales, donates all unsold merchandise, and then unveils racks of newly acquired pieces as a special event.

Where: The new San Diego store is at 8610 Genesee Ave. in the Costa Verde Center. It is selling merchandise at 70 percent off its normal prices Friday until 2 p.m., when it will close to prepare for the unveiling event. (All the remaining clothing will be donated to the Rancho Coastal Humane Society.)

A new San Diego store that resells designer brands and "couture" fashion is unveiling its spring merchandise Saturday, an event that draws crowds to the company's other stores.

My Sister's Closet, a high-end consignment store with a cult following in Phoenix, recentlyentered the San Diego market and Saturday will unveil 10,000 new spring fashion pieces. All the apparel at the chain is 60 percent to 90 percent off retail prices and most is used, although some pieces are unworn with their original tags.

Twice each year, each store clears the racks and unveils "new" consignment merchandise. The events draw early-bird shoppers lining up two hours before the 8 a.m. opening. See the U-T's photo preview of some spring items here: [U-T Gallery: My Sister's Closet]

"For our Arizona shoppers, the Spring Unveiling is one of the most anticipated dates on the fashion calendar," said Ann Siner, CEO of Eco-Chic Consignments. "Our hope is to make the same impact on San Diego's fashionable residents."

The Phoenix-based company was established 20 years ago and is expanding as cash-strapped consumers seek name brands for less. Last year, its revenues hit $20 million after four straight years of 20 percent growth and it made the Inc. 5000 list of the country's fastest-growing businesses.

"I think what has happened is that more people say: 'I'm going to give secondhand shopping a try,'" Siner said. "If I can just get somebody in the door, I can make them see that it's not dark, dirty, dingy."

As commercial real estate prices drop, the company is able to get leases in shopping centers that once rejected "used clothing" stores as tenants. There are 10 Arizona stores. The San Diego store, which opened in November in University City, is the company's first out-of-state location, and the company is scouting new locations.

San Diego has affluent pockets with similar demographics to areas of Phoenix where the consignment stores have flourished, Siner said. "We want to expand in San Diego as fast as possible," said Siner.

Large, bright stores

The company distinguishes itself from other consignment stores by offering convenient hours seven days a week and by its large, bright stores.

The 9,600-square-foot San Diego store is organized by color, size and sometimes by brand or taste: There's a full rack of Juicy Couture terry separates and multiple racks are labeled "Brands and Styles for the Chico's Shopper." There's a cashmere section, a leather section and handbags by Gucci and Kate Spade. A pair of vintage Chanel studs was recently spotted in the jewelry section along with a Mikasa pearl necklace.

There is also a men's section.

People visit the store daily to get rid of their unwanted clothing and handbags. They get paid once an item sells; the company has a point-of-sale system that keeps track of who is owed money and promptly pays sellers. "As soon as an item sells, it posts to your account in 10 minutes," Siner said.